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As the days stretched into weeks, many of us in lockdown mode with our families began seeking ways to include a little bit of self-care in our lives. New challenges like working from home and facilitating kids’ school at home activities were added to our already endless to-do lists. These challenges, coupled with balancing everything that comes with family and home, create a space where making time for a self-care routine during a pandemic is essential.
Observing stay-at-home orders means trips to the yoga studio or gym are not in the cards right now. Finding ways to honor ourselves, our feelings, and attending to our own needs is important now more than ever. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation Poll, nearly half of all Americans report that the current coronavirus crisis is affecting their mental health.
Know when to step away

Living in a world where current events happen in real-time via social media can be stress-inducing. Daily novel coronavirus updates include case number counts and fatalities. Watching these numbers scrolling across my television screen was stress-inducing to me.
I have been working from home and homeschooling for several years. I realized early on during the pandemic that staying up to date on current events while trying to work and homeschool my son was going to be a challenge. Stepping away from the press conferences and only checking in periodically was the best choice for me.
Katherine Shorter is a certified pastoral care counselor. She reminds us that it is impossible to do and be everything to everyone. “Life is hard enough on us as we’re trying to do it all; don’t be harder on yourself because it’s actually impossible to do it all,” she told Mom.com. “If you’re not present enough to take care of yourself, it will be all the more difficult to take care of the people who matter most to you,” she warned.
Lynn Wiltse also understands the benefits of self-care and the importance of being present. “There’s not much time for self-care as a single mom working in the medical field during a pandemic,” the mom of three told Mom.com. “I’m trying to make sure I’m more mindful of the little things that are going well (or even OK), because most things feel like they’re just not OK and I can’t control them.”
Self-care tips during a pandemic

Self-care today looks quite different than the traditional self-care activities we’re accustomed to. An afternoon at the spa or salon, or a relaxing deep tissue massage is often the go-to self-care regimen.
Self-care while remaining socially distant, though, means finding new ways to put yourself first and make time to attend to your needs in a way that both minimizes your exposure to COVID-19 and keeps others safe as well. A few easy and safer self-care tips during this global pandemic include:
- Get in the car, turn on the radio, and go for a solo drive
- Don some headphones and walk or jog around the neighborhood
- Pray, meditate, or write in your journal
- Watch an uplifting movie
- Get more sleep to regulate hormone levels
Taking a relaxing bubble bath after the kids have gone to bed, spending time shaping your eyebrows, or watching makeup tutorials online can give you that lift you need. Just a few quiet moments to yourself can truly change your perspective. Wiltse agrees that sometimes self-care, especially during a pandemic, is about getting out of your own head for a while.
“I picked up some books at the dollar store to read when I need a mental break and escape,” she told Mom.com.
Sophie Agbonkhese is also a homeschooling mom of four who was on her own at the beginning of lockdown. With her husband out of the country for medical reasons, she found herself navigating the early weeks of lockdown cut off from friends and her support system.
“I had to seek advice from a doctor because I was struggling so much with all the uncertainty,” she told Mom.com. Sophie has been following her doctor’s advice, which includes taking supplements and getting enough exercise and sleep.
Coupled with practicing mindfulness or spiritual disciplines, following her doctor’s advice has helped the past few weeks. She said, “These tips, along with lowering my standards and expectations in every area, continue to serve me well.”
Give yourself grace

We’re living an unprecedented experience during this global pandemic. Even the most introverted of us are social by nature as connection and interaction are a basic human need. There is no playbook to tell us how to proceed during a pandemic. Extending grace to ourselves is just as important as extending it to others.
Recognize that there will be ups and downs. The rollercoaster ride of emotions will eventually take their toll. It’s when we extend grace to ourselves and realize that taking time out for self-care isn’t selfish. It’s necessary if we’re going to be there for those who rely on us.
Shorter reminds us to try to find those pockets in our days where we can practice a self-care activity. “Remember to take the moments when you can find them to do what makes you happy; find or rediscover the things that give you peace.”